Taiwan launched a representative office in Aix-en-Provence, southern France, as part of government efforts to deepen Taiwan-France friendship and expand bilateral cooperation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Dec. 14.
Hosted by Francois Chihchung Wu, Taiwan’s representative to France, and Hsin Chi-chih, head of the new office, the event featured remote well-wishes from MOFA Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu; Andre Vallini, French senator and member of the country’s Foreign Affairs, Defence and Armed Forces Committee; Laurence Trastour-Isnart, member of the French National Assembly; and Maryse Joissins Masini and Karima Zerkani-Raynal, mayor and vice mayor of Aix-en-Provence, respectively.
In a pre-recorded video, Wu said the new office will facilitate more timely service to ROC (Taiwan) nationals while strengthening cooperation in areas spanning culture, tourism and trade.
France is an important economic partner of Taiwan, Wu said, adding that bilateral tie-ups in the aerospace, biomedicine, energy and technology industries are poised to take off amid restructuring of global supply chains.
According to the MOFA, people-to-people exchanges between the two sides have surged, as demonstrated by a 62 percent increase in the number of Taiwan travelers visiting France from 2016 to 2019. The number of French visitors to Taiwan saw growth of nearly 30 percent over the same period, the ministry added.
The ministry additionally reminded those seeking consular services at the Aix-en-Provence branch to call and schedule appointments in advance due to COVID-19. The new location is Taiwan’s second representative office in France, with the first in Paris. (YCH-E)
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